by Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports

by Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports

You won't be able to avoid the 2014 NBA draft while watching the 2014 NCAA tournament. Many members of one of the strongest prospect pools in years will be taking the court. But while many top prospects have shown enough to solidify their futures, here are eight who could use a big effort to prove their worth to scouts:

Keith Appling, Michigan State senior guard

His biggest measuring stick might be his position, as a Michigan State point guard in March. This senior class wants to avoid being the first to spend four seasons under coach Tom Izzo without a Final Four berth.

While big man Adreian Payne has shown what he can do and likely will be one of the first seniors off the board in the draft, Appling has spent the past month struggling with a wrist injury. The 2010 McDonald's All-American finally was coming into his own in running the offense before the injury and will be given every opportunity to return to form now.

If he does, he could rise as high as the late first round. That probably requires a Final Four run by the Spartans, the East's fourth seed.

Kyle Anderson, UCLA

Anderson earns the nickname Slow-Mo every time he steps on the court, but it hasn't been much of an insult lately. The 6-9 sophomore point-forward seemed out of his depths at times as a freshman as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the college game. He's in his element now, though, and was the dominant player in the Pac-12 tournament championship game, posting 21 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to lead the Bruins past heavy favorite Arizona.

Anderson has to convince scouts he can run an NBA offense - and shoot well enough to keep defenses honest while doing so. But No. 4 seed UCLA has a good position in the South Region, and Anderson knows he'll have the ball.

Jahii Carson, Arizona State

The sophomore point guard burst on to the national scene with a 40-point performance Nov. 19 against UNLV, inspiring comparisons to another short, athletic, high-scoring Pac-12 guard, former Washington star Nate Robinson. But those comparisons to the NBA veteran don't quite fit, as 5-10 Carson plays more like a traditional point guard than 5-9 Robinson.

The problem this season for Carson and Arizona State, the 10th seed in the Midwest, has been his tendency to shoot the team out of games when he is cold (he shot 43.5% on the season). Extending his shooting range and cleaning up his point guard play would be good goals if Carson returns, but he could be a late first-rounder if he posts another big performance or two in upset victories.

Cleanthony Early, Wichita State

The senior forward is the most talented player on the only undefeated team in the country, a team trying to return to the Final Four. So why are there questions?

The Shockers played only five NCAA tournament teams this season. Early had a good game against No. 14 seed North Carolina Central but shot a combined 17-for-49 (35.0%) against the other four - Tulsa, Tennessee, Saint Louis and Brigham Young.

Wichita State has an exceptionally difficult tournament road despite its No. 1 seed in the Midwest. Another Final Four run could silence critics. The 6-8 power forward will need to show off his improved shooting range, as he projects to be a small forward in the NBA.

Joel Embiid, Kansas

Embiid, a freshman center, entered this month as the favorite to be drafted first overall. Then the back issues started. Embiid has not played since March 1, and the exact nature of the back injury that has sidelined him remains a mystery. That's not what scouts like to hear.

Every NBA team picking near the top of the draft will have its doctors try to figure out what has impeded Embiid, but his best proof would come on the court. The 7-foot Cameroon native will not play in the first weekend, but No. 2 Kansas has the talent to reach the Elite Eight without him in the West Region.

Embiid mostly is battling teammate Andrew Wiggins and Duke's Jabari Parker for that top spot, and a return for a title run would answer doubters efficiently.

Tyler Ennis, Syracuse

The freshman point guard was soaring up draft boards, even discussed in the top five, when he was leading Syracuse's 25-0 start. But much of that hype came because of the Canadian's natural leadership and heady clutch play, qualifiers that tend to fade away when a team closes the regular season by losing five of its last seven. Here's the twist, though: Ennis has played well in that skid, and those qualities still show themselves regularly.

His biggest goal should be to show NBA scouts he has the quickness and athleticism required at the next level, and No. 3 Syracuse's potential meeting in the third round of the South Region against Aaron Craft and No. 6 Ohio State would be a good proving ground.

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

The sophomore forward had a foul problem earlier this season. That's over with now, and the defending national champion's most talented player has blossomed. Harrell was the dominant force in Louisville's run of 12 wins in its final 13 regular-season games and played at least 30 minutes in nine of those games (the other four were blowouts).

He's a great athlete, offsetting his 6-8 frame at power forward. But the American Athletic Conference was a guard's league, and Harrell will have much stiffer tests up front. Louisville is the surprising fourth seed in a loaded Midwest Region. If he can stay out of foul trouble and continue to dominate, he could rise to the draft lottery.

Shabazz Napier, Connecticut

The senior guard will not average 5.9 rebounds a game in the NBA. He probably won't ever post 17.4 points a game, either. But the scrappy 6-1 point guard has the same kind of bravado Kemba Walker showed in leading Connecticut to the 2011 championship, when Napier was his freshman backup. He also has the same proclivity for bad plays and ball dominance.

What Napier lacks is Walker's explosiveness, which is a primary factor in Walker's success for the Charlotte Bobcats. Still, Napier could be a decent backup point guard if he can know his role a bit.

In order to get that shot at being a first-rounder, he needs to make better decisions and help the No. 7 Huskies sneak through a few rounds in the upset-likely East Region.